Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Ciaran Byrne 

BSc [Hons] Applied Psychology

I am a recent graduate of the B.Sc. Applied Psychology at IADT, who specialised in the practice path. I have a keen interest in cyberpsychology and social psychology having completed my research paper on the relationship between video games and well-being. I also have a passion for film and music, being part of well over a few dozen projects in that area. I will continue to use my adept skills in psychology and creativity in whatever field I contribute to in the future.

Project Description

My project investigated the relationships between video game play time (hours per week), feelings of engagement, competence, and relatedness with happiness among individuals who play video games at least once a week. The online questionnaires were completed fully by 92 participants while remembering a regular gaming experience for them.
The Game Engagement Questionnaire (GEQ), Player Experience Needs Satisfaction (PENS) scale, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) were used to test participants.


Project Objectives

This project aimed to examine the motivational reasons why gamers play video games at least once a week.


Project Outcomes

The results indicated that feelings of engagement and relatedness were not predictors of happiness. However, more hours playing video games per week had a negative relationship with happiness. High competence was also a significant predictor of happiness. The implications of the present study indicate that feelings of competency could be a motivating factor for people who play video games and have an increase in happiness. This study also showcases that too many hours played per week could have an adverse effect on happiness.


Thesis Title

The relationship between video game play time, feelings of engagement, competence, and relatedness with happiness